Dual circuit RF identification tags

• US 7,501,954 B1
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avante International Technology
• Original Assignee: Avante International Technology
• Inventors: Chung, Kevin Kwong-Tai
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Application Number:
  US10/872,080
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5729, 340/5.61, 340 101- 106, 235/492
• US Class Current: 340/572.7
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07756 the connection being non-galvanic, e.g. capacitive
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07767 the first and second communication means being two different antennas types, e.g. dipole and coil type, or two antennas of the same kind but operating at different frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2448 Tag with at least dual detection means, e.g. combined inductive and ferromagnetic tags, dual frequencies within a single technology, tampering detection or signalling means on the tag

Abstract

A wireless article includes two or more RFID electronic devices and antenna that operate at or under different conditions, e.g., at different frequencies and/or under different protocols.

Claims

1. A wireless article comprising:

a dielectric substrate having a broad planar surface;

at least one antenna on the broad planar surface of said dielectric substrate, said at least one antenna including at least one electrical conductor defining at least one loop and defining at least first and second contacts thereof; and

at least two RFID electronic devices disposed proximate said dielectric substrate and electrically connected to the at least first and second contacts of said at least one antenna,

wherein said at least two RFID electronic devices operate under different protocols and/or at different frequency bands, and

wherein said at least one antenna defines a lesser number of turns than that for operating either of said at least two RFID electronic devices alone.

2. The wireless article of claim 1 wherein at least one of said at least two RFID electronic devices comprises an electronic jumper connected between the at least first and second contact sites of said at least one antenna and an RFID integrated circuit mounted to said electronic jumper.

3. The wireless article of claim 1 wherein said at least two RFID electronic devices operate under different protocols at the same frequency.

4. The wireless article of claim 3 wherein the frequency is in a band including one of 13.56 MHz, 915 MHz and 2.45 GHz.

5. The wireless article of claim 1 wherein said at least one antenna comprises first and second electrical conductors defining respective first and second loop antennas each having the first and second contacts thereof, and wherein said at least two RFID electronic devices are respectively coupled between the at least first and second contacts of said first and second loop antennas, respectively.

6. The wireless article of claim 1 wherein the at least one loop of said at least one antenna is generally rectangular.

7. The wireless article of claim 1 wherein the frequency is in a band including one of 13.56 MHz, 915 MHz and 2.45 GHz.

8. The wireless article of claim 1 further comprising:

a further antenna on the broad planar surface of said dielectric substrate, said further antenna including an electrical conductor defining at least one loop and defining first and second contacts thereof; and

a further RFID electronic device disposed proximate said dielectric substrate and electrically connected to the first and second contacts of said further antenna,

wherein said further RFID electronic device operates at a different frequency than do either of said at least two RFID electronic devices.

9. The wireless article of claim 1 wherein a plurality of the wireless articles recited in claim 1 are disposed on a broad planar surface of a sheet of said dielectric substrate and wherein said sheet of said dielectric substrate is thereafter cut to provide a plurality of said wireless articles.

10. The wireless article of claim 1 for utilization for identification, security monitoring, access control, a secure transaction, a banking transaction, a financial transaction, a credit card, cash card and/or debit card, inventory tracking and/or control, theft detection and/or loss monitoring, tracking and/or control of luggage, baggage, packages and/or merchandise, garage and/or parking yard access, a product label, and/or a label for a CD and/or DVD.

11. A wireless article comprising:

a dielectric substrate having a broad planar surface;

an antenna on the broad planar surface of said dielectric substrate, said antenna including an electrical conductor defining a plurality of loops and defining first and second contacts thereof; and

first and second RFID electronic devices disposed proximate said dielectric substrate and electrically connected in parallel between the first and second contacts of said antenna,

wherein said first and second RFID electronic devices operate under different protocols, and

wherein said antenna defines a lesser number of turns than that for operating either of said first and second RFID electronic devices alone.

12. The wireless article of claim 11 wherein each of said first and second RFID electronic devices comprises an electronic jumper connected between said first and second contact sites of said antenna and an RFID integrated circuit mounted to said electronic jumper.

13. The wireless article of claim 11 wherein said first and second RFID electronic devices operate under different protocols at the same frequency.

14. The wireless article of claim 13 wherein the frequency is in a band including one of 13.56 MHz, 915 MHz and 2.45 GHz.

15. The wireless article of claim 11 wherein said first and second RFID electronic devices respectively operate at a same or different frequency in a band including one of 13.56 MHz, 915 MHz and 2.45 GHz.

16. The wireless article of claim 11 wherein the plurality of loops of said antenna is generally rectangular.

18. The wireless article of claim 11 wherein a plurality of the wireless articles recited in claim 11 are disposed on a broad planar surface of a sheet of said dielectric substrate and wherein said sheet of said dielectric substrate is thereafter cut to provide a plurality of said wireless articles.

19. The wireless article of claim 11 wherein the lesser number of turns is less than the number of turns that would provide substantially equivalent read distance for either one of said first and second RFID electronic devices alone.

20. The wireless article of claim 11 for utilization for identification, security monitoring, access control, a secure transaction, a banking transaction, a financial transaction, a credit card, cash card and/or debit card, inventory tracking and/or control, theft detection and/or loss monitoring, tracking and/or control of luggage, baggage, packages and/or merchandise, garage and/or parking yard access, a product label, and/or a label for a CD and/or DVD.

17. A wireless article comprising:

a dielectric substrate having a broad planar surface;

an antenna on the broad planar surface of said dielectric substrate, said antenna including an electrical conductor defining a plurality of loops and defining first and second contacts thereof;

first and second RFID electronic devices disposed proximate said dielectric substrate and electrically connected in parallel between the first and second contacts of said antenna,

wherein said first and second RFID electronic devices operate under different protocols;

a further antenna on the broad planar surface of said dielectric substrate, said further antenna including an electrical conductor defining at least one loop and defining first and second contacts thereof; and

a third RFID electronic device disposed proximate said dielectric substrate and electrically connected to the first and second contacts of said further antenna, wherein said third RFID electronic device operates at a different frequency than do said first and second RFID electronic devices.

21. A wireless article comprising:

a dielectric substrate having a broad planar surface;

plural antennas on the broad planar surface of said dielectric substrate, said antennas including first and second electrical conductors defining first and second loops and defining respective first and second contacts of each of the first and second loops; and

first and second RFID electronic devices disposed proximate said dielectric substrate, wherein said first RFID electronic device is electrically connected to the first and second contacts of the first loop of said antennas and wherein said second RFID electronic device is electrically connected to the first and second contacts of the second loop of said, antennas,

wherein said first and second RFID electronic devices operate at different frequency bands.

22. The wireless article of claim 21 wherein at least one of said first and second RFID electronic devices comprises an electronic jumper connected between said first and second contacts of one loop of said antenna and an RFID integrated circuit mounted to said electronic jumper.

23. The wireless article of claim 21 wherein said first and second RFID electronic devices operate under different protocols.

24. The wireless article of claim 21 wherein the different frequency bands including any two of 13.56 MHz, 915 MHz and 2.45 GHz.

25. The wireless article of claim 21 wherein the at least one of the first and second loops of said antennas is generally rectangular.

26. The wireless article of claim 21 further comprising:

a third loop of said antennas on the broad planar surface of said dielectric substrate, said third loop including an electrical conductor defining at least one loop and defining first and second contacts thereof; and

a third RFID electronic device disposed proximate said dielectric substrate and electrically connected to the first and second contacts of said third loop of said antennas,

wherein said further RFID electronic device operates at a different frequency than do either of said first and second RFID electronic devices.

27. The wireless article of claim 21 wherein a plurality of the wireless articles recited in claim 21 are disposed on a broad planar surface of a sheet of said dielectric substrate and wherein said sheet of said dielectric substrate is thereafter cut to provide a plurality of said wireless articles.

28. The wireless article of claim 21 for utilization for identification, security monitoring, access control, a secure transaction, a banking transaction, a financial transaction, a credit card, cash card and/or debit card, inventory tracking and/or control, theft detection and/or loss monitoring, tracking and/or control of luggage, baggage, packages and/or merchandise, garage and/or parking yard access, a product label, and/or a label for a CD and/or DVD.

29. A method for making a plurality of wireless articles operable at or under two different conditions comprising:

providing a dielectric substrate sheet;

patterning on the dielectric substrate sheet a plurality of circuits, each of the plurality of circuits including an electrical conductor defining a loop antenna having first and second electrical contacts;

then mounting a plurality of electronic RFID devices on the dielectric substrate sheet, each of the electronic devices being electrically connected between the first and second electrical contacts of a respective one of the loop antennas, wherein each one of the electronic RFID devices is connected to one of the loop antenna,

wherein at least one of the loop antennas and the electronic RFID device connected thereto is operable at a different condition than is another of the loop antennas and the electronic RFID device connected thereto,

whereby each of the loop antennas and the electronic RFID device connected thereto provide an RFID circuit;

thereafter, cutting the dielectric substrate sheet into a plurality of wireless article substrates each including at least one loop antenna and at least one electronic RFID device, the loop antenna and electronic RFID device providing an RFID circuit operable under a given condition,

wherein at least one of the plurality of wireless article substrates includes one or more loop antennas and two or more RFID devices providing an RFID circuit operable under two different given conditions.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the at least one of the plurality of wireless article substrates includes one loop antenna and more than one electronic RFID device, the loop antenna and more than one electronic RFID device providing an RFID circuit operable at the same frequency under two different protocols.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the at least one of the plurality of wireless article substrates includes two loop antennas and two electronic RFID devices, the two loop antennas and two electronic RFID devices providing two RFID circuits operable at two different frequency bands.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein said mounting comprises soldering connections or forming electrically conductive adhesive connections between contacts of the electronic RFID device and the first and second electrical contacts of a respective one of the loop antenna.

33. A method for making a plurality of wireless articles comprising:

providing a dielectric substrate sheet;

patterning on the dielectric substrate sheet a plurality of circuits, each of the plurality of circuits including an electrical conductor defining a loop antenna having first and second electrical contacts,

wherein ones of the loop antennas are relatively larger and others of the loop antennas are relatively smaller, and wherein at least one of the relatively smaller loop antennas is disposed within a respective one of the relatively larger loop;

antennas;

then mounting a plurality of electronic RFID devices on the dielectric substrate sheet, each of the electronic devices being electrically connected between the first and second electrical contacts of a respective one of the loop antennas, wherein each one of the electronic RFID devices is connected to one of the loop antenna,

whereby each of the loop antennas and the electronic RFID device connected thereto provide an RFID circuit;

thereafter, cutting the dielectric substrate sheet into a plurality of wireless article substrates each including at least one loop antenna and at least one electronic RFID device, the loop antenna and electronic RFID device providing an RFID circuit operable under a given condition,

wherein the RFID circuit including a relatively smaller loop antenna is either separated from the RFID circuit including a relatively larger circuit to provide separate wireless articles or is not separated from the RFID circuit including a relatively larger circuit to provide a wireless article substrate having at least two RFID circuits thereon.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein at least one of the plurality of wireless article substrates includes one or more loop antennas and two or more RFID devices providing an RFID circuit operable under two different given conditions.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein at least one of the loop antennas and the electronic RFID device connected thereto is operable at a different condition than is another of the loop antennas and the electronic RFID device connected thereto.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein the at least one of the plurality of wireless article substrates includes one loop antenna and more than one electronic RFID device, the loop antenna and more than one electronic RFID device providing an RFID circuit operable at the same frequency under two different protocols.

37. The method of claim 33 wherein the at least one of the plurality of wireless article substrates includes two loop antennas and two electronic RFID devices, the two loop antennas and two electronic RFID devices providing two RFID circuits operable at two different frequency bands.

38. The method of claim 33 wherein said mounting comprises soldering connections or forming electrically conductive adhesive connections between contacts of the electronic RFID device and the first and second electrical contacts of a respective one of the loop antenna.